Informal British term for gossip; casual conversation about other people's private affairs.
A shortened form of 'gossip,' which originally came from Old English godsibb meaning 'godparent' (literally 'god-related'). The meaning shifted from 'close friend' to 'person who spreads news' to the modern sense of idle talk by the 16th century.
The evolution from 'godparent' to 'idle chatter' reflects how social relationships have changed - what began as a term for someone spiritually responsible for a child became associated with the kind of intimate conversation that happens between close friends, and eventually with any informal sharing of personal information.
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